After slugging through traffic on interstates or packed airports, the reward is a pull-out couch, dry turkey lumpy gravy and hours of football on the television? Thanksgiving at the home of loved ones is never much of a vacation, as great as it is to catch up with everyone.

We have a suggestion: Since you probably have to travel somewhere anyway, why not make the destination worth the hassle? Wine enthusiasts can turn it into a weekend in Napa or Oregon’s up-and-coming Willamette Valley. Families can still enjoy each other’s company at kid-inclusive locations like Newport, Rhode Island, or Delray Beach, Florida. Couples may want to reconnect over a couple nights in sultry Miami or cozy up in Nantucket.

Don’t let a four-day weekend go to waste. Our suggestions for easy Thanksgiving weekend vacations turn a ho-hum holiday into a relaxing getaway that will hold you over until after that New Year’s because everyone knows that from Black Friday on, all hell is going to break loose.